Character Information

Zan stands at an even six feet tall. He's lean built, muscular but not bulky. He moves with an easy, laid back grace, confidence in himself that doesn't usually cross into cockiness.
Zan has lighter brown hair, typically kept short and clean cut. He's got blue eyes and a still-young usually clean-shaven face. He's also got a hashmark-like scar on the back of his neck.

I was born into a life of politics and potential luxury. I say potential because my parents had money, and I don't. Now, don't get me wrong, I do get an allowance, but they've made very clear that I earn that money. My parents don't have a housekeeper, they have me and my three siblings. As for politics, well…

My dad is D. James Caldecott. He is the Mayor of this fine city, in his second term and planning on a third if he doesn't land a gubernatorial nomination. He was on the city council for years before that. Politics is sort of a family legacy, you see. My grandfather was a state senator before he was elected into Congress, and it seems like most of my extended family has been involved in some way or another. Councils, mayors, assemblies, lawyers. It's a little insane. Speaking of lawyers, my mom is Stephanie Bree Caldecott. She's the Caldecott in Bailey, Foss, and Caldecott. An attorney, and a pretty respectable one.

Anyway! Fame and fortune! We have means, but that doesn't mean we have it all. We actually live pretty conservatively. Or try to. Most of the time.

I mentioned before, I have three siblings, I have an older brother named Timothy, who's going to Yale as a law student. And I have two younger sisters. Twins. Named Madison and Marlie. They're about a year younger than me, just about to graduate high school with plans to go to Berkley or Dartmouth, or one of another four other colleges in the fall. No idea what they’re planning to study. Overall, the four of us are actually pretty close. Sure there was the usual sibling rivalry, disagreements, and fights, but for the most part we get along. We still keep in contact and visit often. (Helps with three of us still living at home!).

I, along with my brother and sisters, went to private schools. I wasn't an honor roll student, but I made decent grades. I wasn’t often a favorite amongst my teachers or classmates, though. I was prone to distractions. I’d talk back to teachers, in a completely joking, non-snarking way. I was a bit of a class clown. It became worse after I discovered my passion for filming everything. Spent a fair bit of time in the Principal’s office because of it, served detention a few times. Just managed to save myself from suspension, thanks in part to my dad. Really, it wasn’t my fault. I bumped into the guy’s locker while his hand was inside it. It was completely accidental.

I was twelve when I got my first camera. It was an old hi8 camcorder I saw in a pawn shop window display. Spent two month’s worth of allowance to get it. That little camcorder went everywhere with me, collected hours of film and footage of anything and everything. Yeah, even the stupid, crazy things guys do around the pizza shop table when the parents aren’t around. Did I mention, I filmed everything?

Films and movie making isn’t my only hobby. Much to my parents’ sanity I started playing drums when I was fourteen. I’m not in any bands, never played at school, and I’m pretty much self taught, but people seem impressed. I know I could probably learn to play better. I also involved myself in sports, baseball and soccer. I’m athletic, but not much of an athlete. Which means I can stay in shape, but I have no drive for competitive sports.

Growing up as the son of a politician has had it's share of drawbacks, too. For one, I've never been too interested in politics. I never ran for class president, though I do go with my parents to functions for political favor because they think it's good for their image. The whole 'happy family' picture. I think it's kind of a thorn in my dad's side that I decided to follow my dream instead of his. I couldn’t escape politics entirely though. It was well, if unofficially established, in my school growing up.

Basically it was a gang of kids who liked to flaunt what they had. The types who were the football stars and cheerleaders. The ones who thought they stood above everyone else, despite us being all in the same social caste, and chose to belittle those who didn’t fit in with their ideals. I had the unfortunate pleasure of falling into that category. I suffered through days of being pushed into lockers, intentionally shouldered between classes, having books knocked from my hands. All sorts of pettiness. And sometimes I fought back, cracked a joke or two that managed to humiliate my tormentors, always tried to turn things around with a quick wit and laughter rather than anger. But a more often we’d end up in an angry fist fight. I learned through experience how to trade hits, give and receive, and after the first couple I stopped looking like I was an extra in Fight Club.

Thankfully I graduated on time. And most of us grew out of that horrible prepubescent and pubescent state of mind. While I still live with my parents, I am going to school. Still. If I haven’t said so already, I’m enrolled as a film major at UNLV. Hoping, once I’ve finished my bachelor’s that I can be accepted into the master’s program for screenwriters. I’m doing a lot better in school now, than I ever did in high school. And it’s not so bad still living with my mom and dad. We get along. Which means I help out around the house and they don’t harass me about finding my own place or getting a job. Though Dad still drops hints about getting a ‘real degree’ so I can have a ‘real job’ and ‘later get into politics’. Maybe one day, but not likely.

Driving: While he's no stunt car driver, but Zan is pretty comfortable behind the wheel. Like most teenagers, he got his license when he turned 16 so he only has a few years of experience actually driving. He's confident in his abilities, but not overconfident.

Drummer: Self taught, Zan might one day be able to join a band. He's still an amateur, but he's got good reflexes and a decent sense of rhythm.

Cameraman: His passion. Zan has been behind a camera since he was 12 and now he's learning the finer arts of the film industry with hopes to become a famous screenwriter. He has a knack for capturing the right angle and the intriguing scene and is unafraid to film anything.

Zan can fly. It's a dream mankind has had seemingly forever. It pushed us to the skies and on to the stars. While Zan is limited by the atmosphere, the stars do help him out. His body has become a solar battery, of sorts, storing up the sunshine to power his ability. He can fly far faster than he can run, faster than most cars go. He tops out at about 200 miles per hour when he's fully charged. When his power is activated, that is, when he's flying, it encases him in a soft glow: a buffer against the speed and atmospheric changes as he climbs higher. It also gives him a spatial awareness, much like a cat's whiskers help it navigate tight spots, this protection tingles when he's getting too close to something else. He can't really process what he sees when he's going fast, so he won't always know what he's approaching even with the warning sign.

His protection, though, only can withstand so much of the cold, and it starts to peter out in the freezing temperature of the Mesosphere. If he stays up there more than thirty seconds, the protection fades and he's left out in the cold, so to speak. This would be quite fatal with the average temperature of -120 F. Brr. Along with this, the protection only covers Zan, and anyone he drags with him into high skies or speeds will suffer the effects as normal.

The sun will keep him charged up through the day, provided he doesn't spend too much time in a dark basement or the like. His body can store some of the solar power, but in the dark or at night, it drains quickly if he activates his power. A full day of sunbathing will keep him running for 3 hours of night/dark. If he doesn't activate his power, the solar energy stays put, but cannot hold more than those 3 hours worth. When his 'battery' starts to fade, he can feel his ability sputtering like a car running out of gas. It will choke up and blip out, far between at first, but closer together the closer he comes to empty. It should be enough time to get to safety, but if he stays aloft, his protection and his flight will both eventually fail him and leave him to the fall.